Handheld mobile computing devices have proliferated as their usefulness and functionality have improved. To the extent that the handheld device may be configurable or customizable based on varying user needs, the utility of the devices is enhanced.
Handheld computers are available with various means of user input functionality. For example, touchscreen displays may be especially desirable for applications where conventional display screens and mouse systems do not allow a satisfactory, intuitive, rapid, or accurate interaction by the user with the display's content. The touchscreen enables a user to interact directly with the information displayed on the display screen, rather than indirectly in the case of a mouse or touchpad. For users of touchscreen-based devices, therefore, a larger display screen of increased display surface area for user interaction would enhance the practicability of the touchscreen user interface. Accordingly, such a class of user will prefer a larger size display screen, given their needs or applications for handheld computing.
It would therefore be advantageous for a manufacturer of handheld computers to provide a handheld computer having different variations of display screen sizes and functionality suited to the needs of different classes of users, while maintaining, or at least maximizing, commonality of other components and functional modules of the handheld computer.